Wheel for automobiles.



No 816,666. PATENTED APR. 3, 1906.

G. B. KIMBALL. WHEEL FOR AUTOMOBILES.

AIPLIOATION FILED 12.13. 1905.

1 u I u p. f

LII

CHARLES B. KIMBALL,

OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

WHEEL FOR AUTOMOBILES- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 8, 1906.

Application filed March 13, 1905. Serial No. 249,716.

To allwhom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES B. KIMBALL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Im rovements in Wheels for Automobiles an I do declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact descri tion of the invention, which will enable ot ers skilled in the art to which'it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in wheels for automobiles and the like; and the invention consists in a wheel having springsupported segments constituting the tread or periphery thereof, all substantially as shown and described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawin s, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a complete W eel embodying my invention, and. Fig. 2 is a central cross-section thereof.

As thus shown, the invention comprises a central body or hub part A, comprising a series of radial tubular s okes or arms a, which may have any suitab e mechanical engagement or connection with the hub or central portion a of said partthat is, the tubes or tubular spokes a may be integral with the hub or be set into the same in an efl'ective wayand the said body part, inc uding the said spokes or tubes a, may be formed in two equal halves, bolted or otherwise united, so as to be, in eifect, as solid and unitary as if made in one piece. As shown, furthermore, there is a unitary rim B integral with s okes a and constructed with rightangle side flanges b, the edges 6 of which curve or curl inward somewhat to confine the tire segments or sections C, and if the hub and spokes were cast or struck up in two arts the-rim would be in two parts also an each part integral with that side of the entire wheel.- A diaphragm or bridge a? is provided in each spoke,

against or upon which rests a coiled or spiral spring D.

The tire as a whole is composed of a seriesof equal segments C, slightly spaced apart at.

their meeting ends to provide room for their joint depression successively more or less in pairs without contact at their ends, and each segment or section of tire has a solid stem 0, pro'ected and supported in or into one of the spo es (1, against the contained spring D. The said springs are to be regarded as of such which come down and form rests or stops on the shoulder or bearing-surface b of rim B. The said tire se ments or members 0 are ofT shape and may e made of rubber of suitable 'hardnessor, say, other suitable material.

Valved air-vents a are provided in the sev, eral spokes a, and suitable dust or dirt pock-- ets g are provided inside between-adjacent ends of tire-segments, which intercept any dirt that may work in between said segments and hold it where it will clear itself as the wheel revolves.

It will be noticed that all the tire-segments are independently mounted and depressible in the same proportion and are held in salinement by the flanges of rim B. The ribs 0 of the tire sections or segments 0 extend laterally outward, as well as inward, and thus form engaging portions for lips or looking ed es 1). I p

it is to be observed that vent-valve a provides only for intake of air and closes when the segment-stem is depressed, so that any air in the spoke'will be driven out through the rim of the wheel about the segment or segments, and thus assist in keeping said-parts 7' clear of dirt and dust which might otherwise accumulate ast said se ments. Moreover, the air in said space, bot in rim andspoke, cushions the tire. The stem 0 never cuts of? the valved passages a Dust-pockets g are formed by connectin itrips g of flexible material, such as soft rugs er.

What I claim is i 1. A Wheel provided with tubularfspokes and a fixed rim about the outer ends of said spokes having right-angled sides, in combination with a tire consisting of a series of separate segments confined within the sidesof said rim and provided with stems mounted in said spokes and laterally-projecting'portions along their sides overlapped and engaged by said rim sides.

2. A wheel having tubular spokes and a rim with side walls about said spokes, in com bination with a tire formed in segments corresponding to said spokes, said segments being provided with stems independently ICO mounted in said spokes, and the outer edges oi said side walls on the rim being engaged at the sides of said segments.

3. A wheel havingtnbular spokes, springs in said spokes and a rim about said spokes having walled sides and openings into the spokes. in combination with tire-segments in saidrim provided with stems bearing on said springs and ribs on the sides of said segments engaged by the sides of said rim.

4. The wheel having tubular spokes and bridges on the inside of the same between their ends, springs on said bridges, and a rim about the wheel at the ends of said spokes having walled sides, in combination with tiresections in said rim and having stems mounts ed in said spokes against said springs and sides engaged by the sides of said rim.

5. A wheel having a continuous flanged rim, in combination with atire in sections mounted in said rim and said sections provided with ribs along their outer edges engaged by the edges of the rim, tubular spokes for said wheel, spring-pressed, gui(.lestems mounted in said spokes and flexible connec-' tions betweensaid tire-sections.

0. In spring-tire wheels, a wheel having tubular spokes with valved air-inlets between their ends and a rim having openings coincident with said spokes, in combination with segmental tire-sections working in'said rim and having stems entering said spokes above said valves, said spokes having diaphragms below said valves.

7. A wheel having tubular spokes and a continuous rim with right-angled walls at each side, in combination with a tire formed in segments spaced apart at their ends and confined within said rim, said segments having spring-supported stems independently mounted in said spokes and engaged along their sides within the edges of said rim, and flexible dust-excluding pieces connecting ad- 'acent ends of said segments and of greater length than the normal space between said segments.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

QHAR-LES B. KIMBALL.

H. T.I,FISHER, G. A. SELL. 

